Togo president to step down

Page Tools

Togo's leader Faure Gnassingbe said he will step down as
president and contest elections in the West African country, bowing
to massive international pressure to quit.

The African Union (AU) suspended Togo yesterday in the latest
blow to Gnassingbe.

Abass Bonfoh, a member of the ruling party, will be acting
president until elections after he was chosen as the new head of
the national assembly in a late night vote.

African leaders, European officials and the United States had
all urged Gnassingbe to quit following his appointment as president
by Togo's powerful army hours after his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema,
died on February 5, ending his 38-year rule.

"In order to guarantee the transparency of this election ... and
to give the same chance to all the candidates, I have decided to
renounce the post of president of the national assembly, who is
acting president of the republic," Gnassingbe said in a speech
broadcast on state media yesterday.

"It's now up to the national assembly to elect a new head who
will be interim president of the republic," he said.

Bonfoh was elected by 57 of the 62 deputies present. Four voted
against and there was one abstention. Nineteen were absent.

In a bid to stem international fury, Gnassingbe had pledged to
hold presidential elections in 60 days but indicated he would stay
on until then, drawing international anger.

"I sincerely hope that the West African community and the
international community remains at our side to guarantee the
organisation of free, transparent and honest elections," he said in
the speech.

Under Togo's constitution, the head of the national assembly
became acting president on the death of Eyadema.

After the army named Gnassingbe president, Togo's national
assembly elected Gnassingbe as its head making him the legal
interim president.

It also removed a clause in the constitution requiring elections
in 60 days, allowing Gnassingbe to rule unchallenged until
2008.

Earlier yesterday, Gnassingbe was named the ruling party's
candidate in forthcoming presidential elections.

"The RPT (Rally of Togolese People) is a party that excels in
adversity. The RPT is a party that excels in difficult times and it
is an unbeatable party," he told delegates after being elected as
the new party chief.

The AU decided to suspend Togo from all its activities. It also
asked the executive AU commission to ensure scrupulous enforcement
by member states of sanctions already imposed by the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The suspension was announced at a meeting of the AU Peace and
Security Council in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The Peace and Security Council urged the AU "to take all
measures to restore constitutional order to Togo as soon as
possible", council commissioner Said Djinnit told reporters.

Togo's main opposition parties have demanded the reinstatement
of the previous head of the national assembly, Fambare Ouattara
Natchaba, who should have taken over on Eyadema's death.